Drill Ride Help...

[rach1984horse]

On Sundays I teach a group of 5 pony club kids. I've been off the last 2 weeks and yesterday had it sprung on me that all the different pony club groups have having a drill ride competition at the end of March.

So at the moment I have 4 weeks (so 4 riding lessons) to make up and perfect a drill ride. I've never done this before. They can all walk trot canter, and it doesn't have to be to music, although might give us an edge over the other groups if we did use music. Can anyone give me any sudgestions? If the worst comes to the worst I'll ride as well if I need to have an even number of riders.

Can anyone give me any help/ advice on what movements/timings/sort of routines I could do. The other lessons have all had 3 weeks head start on us and really don't want to let my group of kids down.

 

[rrose]

i did a drill ride last year at college. there was 6 of us and we paired up.... rode to a song to suit the horses used.

we all went up the centre line and split at the end then did like sissors in canter, shallow loops etc. it was very good. and at the end we did a cartwheel where one horse stands in the middle, the next one walks, the next one trots and so forth.

good luck

 

[giggles mum]

Make sure they understand the meaning of "pass left to left", as I recently tried drill riding with some people who didn't, which really mucked things up.

It's easier with an even number but as you have 5 they'll have to be in one ride of 2 and one of 3 - can sometimes work well particularly if one pony is kicky etc. Scissors are good, and you can have the two rides doing 20m circles at either end of the school. What also looks good is when they ride up the centre line in pairs and ride a half circle back to the track, then a diagonal back to the centre line, like a heart shape. A wheel is good too, with the smallest and/or laziest ponies walking or turning on the forehand in the middle as the other ponies trot or canter around them. Good luck

 

[pagancluf]

Why not try a prelim 4, but split ride into two groups, and then change the canter at one end of the school for each group (say at C and A then do the rest in walkand trot so can "slot" in easily? Doing it to the Balck Beauty theme would be cheesy but NICE!! Best of luck.

 

[Mid]

Try a catherine wheel. Basically, stand in a line and rotate around the person in the middle.

 

[benrolo]

My daughter did drill riding at camp the year before last and loved it, it's important to match the ponies into pairs (not friends together) for pace/size, they learnt it in 2 hours and did it for the parents on the last day almost perfectly (because they enjoy it) they were all aged between 10 - 13. 20 metre circles with each set going in the opposite direction is quite impressive and the tunes for Hawaii 5 O and Ski Sunday are quite good to use.